


Sometimes Revenge is the Answer

by comfycozysweaters



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Abduction, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Lance (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, M/M, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape Recovery, Sex Trafficking, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Some Afab Language, Trans Male Character, Trans Male Lance (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:35:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28404864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comfycozysweaters/pseuds/comfycozysweaters
Summary: Now that the anger had been released, Lance couldn’t shove it down anymore. He couldn’t ignore the way his limbs burned with the urged to destroy and mangle. Couldn’t pass off his clenched jaw and fists as anxiety. He could barely breathe without a seething hiss escaping him.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 62





	Sometimes Revenge is the Answer

**Author's Note:**

> This one gets dark. Sorry ya’ll.

They’d found him tied up and gagged in, ironically, a cargo ship. It wasn’t Galra, it wasn’t even apart of the war. In fact the ship was completely ordinary manned by unassuming aliens that resembled humans but with colorful skin and intricate braided hair. They smiled as they invited the humans and two Alteans onto their ship and offered up a tour to ease their anxious minds. Allura had felt a pull to this untouched area of the galaxy and the Blue Lion’s sudden awakening urged her to investigate with the back up of her new human companions and the three occupied Lions. It was the same feeling she had when she felt the Red Lion in Galra custody. 

She knew that their last paladin was there.

The aliens that held him didn’t even seem apologetic. They didn’t care about his status; Hell, they didn’t even care that they were hauling a living thinking being as nothing more than a number in their inventory. Their tour guide smiled as she grabbed him by the neck with her large, four fingered hand to pull him upright as her other caressed him from thigh to collar. 

“Our latest acquisition,” She’d said. “A beautiful subject, Human like your companions, but taken and trained to fulfill any of its Master’s or client’s needs.”

Allura shook with barely restrained rage as she forced a smile. “Taken? How so?”

Shiro had a painful grip on Keith’s shoulder to keep him in place and quiet. He was happy Hunk and Pidge had stayed with Coran to learn about their host’s technology. Especially when Keith hissed out a confused “Lance...?”

The boy’s eyes were a brilliant blue shining with unshed tears and refusing to look anywhere but at the ground. He looked healthy and cared for if you ignored the obvious bruising on his hips, wrists, and ankles and the fact they’d found him in a fucking cargo bay like traded goods.

“Taken and sold or traded with other travelers of course! Earth is a frequent stop for our supplier. The silly little things that inhabit that planet call our landing spots ‘crop circles’ if you can believe it!” She squished his cheeks in one hand and forced the boy to look up. “He’s a pretty little thing isn’t he? We’re taking him from our shop to his new owner’s home. And happy about it as well. He was such a feisty thing. Always causing trouble with his trainer. Took a long while to break him of his nasty habits.” She sighed and dropped the boy back to his sparse bed, his legs too weak to hold him. “He’s someone else’s problem now though.”

The way she talked about him as if he was an object that couldn’t hear her gave Shiro goosebumps. It took everything in him to restrain himself. Allura wasn’t much better. In fact she seemed to be weighing the consequence of breaking this suddenly tense truce or finessing her way into rescuing the poor boy.

Keith made the decision for them both however. All it took was Lance locking eyes with him, gaze widening in surprise, for Keith to tug himself out of Shiro’s hold and shove forward Bayard sword poised against the alien’s throat. 

He growled as the tip dug in, blood rising and spilling down the alien’s neck to sully her flight suit. Confusion and terror filled her eyes at the venom in the red paladin’s gaze. “I don’t know what kind of sick operation you have going here, but it’s fucking over. Release him or I swear to every star in the universe we will tear this ship apart and leave you all to die in the void of space.” 

The woman looked to Allura, pleading for support but all she found was resolve and a hard frown. 

“Shiro, gather him.” Shiro nodded and moved slowly to the boy as she pressed her finger to the communicator in her ear. “Coran, we’re headed back to the Castle. Ready a pod.” 

The alien made to protest but Keith knocked her to her knees. 

“We’re done here. Let the Galra have them. This is no ally of ours.” Her tone brokered no argument and even as Hunk and Pidge questioned what happened, Coran grabbed them both and nodded their goodbye as they turned to leave. 

Shiro was careful to rouse the boy. He touched him lightly, narrating as he went so the boy wouldn’t be surprised by his sudden attention. He still flinched with every touch and curled tighter together to hide his shame.

A blanket. They needed a blanket. There was a tartan tarp flung over his cot that would have to do. It was wrapped around his shoulders as his bindings were cut through. 

Lance gasped at the loss of the gag and quickly wiped his face free of the saliva that made it past it. A quick glance to his left and he did a double take. Takashi Shirogane was kneeling there offering him a soft smile and trying to get him to stand up. His hearing was ringing though and all he could manage to hear was the cooing that he was safe now. His hero was here, someone he never thought he’d get to meet even before his abduction, and he was finally safe again. His eyes spilled with tears and he threw his arms around the man’s broad shoulder’s giving a heaving sob. The shock was short lived and Shiro carefully held the boy trying to reassure him. Eventually he managed to get the boy to stand, sniffles and a slight tremble all that was left of his break down. 

They walked out of there, Allura leading their procession, Keith taking up the rear, and Shiro guiding Lance between them.

The sound of the bay doors closing behind them as Red took off towards the Castle rang with finality. The Galra would find this ship and its crew and none of the Paladins or Alteans could dredge up an ounce of pity for them.

Shiro was the first to say anything after the boy was dressed in a Pod suit and set inside for a health scan and healing. He turned to Keith who was still seething. “You know him.” It wasn’t a question. 

Keith nodded. They could see his jaw clench as he attempted to calm down. “He’s a cargo pilot at the Garrison. Top of the program even if he wanted to be a Fighter. Decided we were bitter rivals after I beat him in the simulator one too many times.” He shrugged. “Honestly I barely noticed him until... until he went missing. Then everyone knew who he was.”

But not Shiro. “How long ago?” He asked with a growing suspicion. 

Keith bit his cheek as he thought. “You were on the way to Kerberos. The Garrison claimed Lance had snuck out and run away. Same kind of bullshit cover up they tried to give you when you disappeared.” He clears his throat as it suddenly felt tight. “Hunk knows more. They were roommates.”

Shiro glanced at the still body in the cryopod and felt responsibility press down on him. They had both been taken, put through hell by unknown aliens, and given up by the Garrison. His memory was still spotty and he was still recovering so he wasn’t sure how much he could help when Lance came out of the pod. He had to try though. Even though their circumstances were different, he couldn’t ignore the kinship he felt with the boy. 

As the leader, as their senior officer, he would do everything he could to help the boy.

Allura was the one to approach Hunk once things settled down and they were a warp away from the cargo ship. “Keith says you know him.”

Hunk was currently standing outside of the pod studying it with exhaustion sloping his shoulders and stinging his eyes. He glanced at her and tried to give a smile but it was empty and felt wrong so he dropped it. “Yeah. Just a little though. We met in basic, same with Keith. Lance always had something encouraging to say when I fell behind. If it weren’t for his support I don’t think I would have made it past basics and into the Engineer program. We just got roomed together when he disappeared.” His smile turned bittersweet. “He always talked about making it into Fighter class. It took a lot of effort for him to think of being a Cargo Pilot positively. If he had been around when Keith got kicked out... he would have been bumped up to Fighter.”

Allura could sense the regret in his voice. She saw the blame coming a mile away. Hunk clenched his hands. “If I had just gone with him when he said he was sneaking out for pizza....”

“There’s no use ruminating on the past. All we can do is look towards the future and make our actions in the present count.” Her voice was strong and it seemed to help Hunk. 

His eyes cleared and his smile turned genuine. “You’re right. Thank you.” He looked back at the pod and leaned into it when Allura placed a comforting hand on his back. 

—

Pidge was furiously searching through the Castle’s messages and distress beacons for anything that resembled the one that led them to Lance. If she could find its server or sender she might be able to track down the rest of the trafficking ring. Her family was in the back of her mind always and she shuddered at the possibility of them being subjected to what the boy they found had been. Even though she knew they were with the Galra, she had to be sure. 

The bonus of taking down this illicit business was icing on the cake.

She hadn’t seen the boy except for in the pod, but she knew who he was. Lance McClain, an international scholarship kid from Cuba with a record of sneaking out and inevitably getting caught. His records indicated a cleverness and intuitive grasp of flying and strategy that was unfortunately marred by his inability to follow instructions and focus. Possible undiagnosed ADHD. Definitely smarter and more creative than anyone gave him credit for and so obviously bored of the traditional flying instructions the Garrison approved of. He chronically underperformed in that area and it showed when Pidge compared his theory and practical results. 

All things she only knew because her brother went missing shortly after and everywhere she looked, Lance kept popping up. She could smell the coverup from a mile away and it reinforced her theories involving Kerberos’s mission.

Another life ruined by aliens and taken far too lightly by the Garrison. When she returned to Earth with her family, she’d expose them. Her dad wouldn’t like it and Matt would probably object as well, but Lance’s family deserved the truth. Her mother deserved the truth. 

Keith was the one to bring her a plate of food goo when dinner rolled around and she was still searching for answers. He set the plate down and took a seat on the steps to the side of her. “Found anything?”

Even with his effort to remain nonchalant, she could sense the anger and restlessness bubbling under his skin. As unexpected as it was, they got each other more than anyone else on the ship when it came to this subject. They’d both been jerked around by the Garrison about the ones they loved disappearing and had done something about it. She broke into their records and then disguised herself to get closer while Keith took a more direct route and punched Iverson in the face.

Honestly? She preferred his method.

Pidge sighed and pushed her glasses up so she could rub at her tired eyes. “Not much yet. The trafficking ring is well guarded. Everything I got from the Cargo ship is locked under like four layers of encryptions in a language too new for the Castle to translate accurately. I’ll find it, but it’s taking time we don’t have.” She gave a frustrated groan and flopped onto her back arms splayed out. “This suuuuucks! Our first real mission as Voltron and I’m stuck! The only positive is that Arus is mostly unknown so we have time before we’re found but still!”

Keith didn’t try to placate her like the others would and she was grateful for it. Instead he moved closer and peered at her screen. “Maybe instead of focusing on the whole operation, we focus on the cargo the ship was carrying. It wasn’t just Lance after all. There was real cargo on board. Weapons and supplies. Foods. Maybe an inventory will point us in the right direction? We can find their customers and go from there.”

Pidge perked up. Rolled her eyes to evaluate Keith. “That... might work.” She propped herself up on her elbows and studied the screen. “Dinner then coding I guess. Who knew a pilot could have useful input.” She grinned and Keith scoffed but she could see a smile tugging at his lips.

—

When he stumbled out of the cryopod, Lance felt better than he had in the year and a half since he’d been abducted. He didn’t have any aches plaguing his joints, no bruised knees or scratchy throat, and his hips and ass didn’t throb with discomfort from being passed around or “trained.” The relief was short lived as strong arms wrapped around him and kept him standing.

His eyes shot open, fear gripping his throat and limbs tensing. He felt trapped. Trapped against someone bigger than him, stronger than him. His hearing buzzed and his mind raced and he shoved himself away from the solid form, stumbling back into something cold and hard and then falling to the ground. He crowded against the pod chest heaving and gaze darting around. 

He was somewhere unrecognizable surrounded by six figures all looming above him menacingly.

But wait...

His breathing slowed, panic ebbing into confusion.

Humans. Six humans. 

Or no... two of them were humanoid, but alien in some of their features. He had become proficient at noticing the differences. It had helped ground him while captive. More than that though, the glee and laughter he imagined as glowing eyes and wicked smiles faded as reality came into focus. The shadowy outlines he couldn’t make out cleared and his eyes went wide with confusion.

“...Hunk?” The boy he recognized right away, his only friend at the Garrison, smiled reassuringly from where he was standing. No one came closer as he slowly took them in. It was odd recognizing not one but three people from the Garrison and it had him questioning his sanity. Had his mind finally broken? Was he hallucinating?

“Hey bud. It’s ok. You’re safe now.” Hunk’s voice was like honey to his ears.

His eyes welled up. Keith was standing just behind Hunk, gaze just as intense as ever. The biggest surprise though was his hero, Takashi Shirogane, kneeling in front of him with a smile of his own and hands held up nonthreatening. It was clear he’d been the one to catch Lance when he fell and his face burned as he realized it. “Where...” he could barely get out that one word.

Shiro took over as he lowered his hands to his thighs. “You’re on a ship. A Castle really. Run by the two behind us, Princess Allura and Coran. They’re Altean, an ancient race of alien, and they saved you.” Lance’s confusion was apparent. “I know it’s a lot to take in and sounds very... fantastical. But we’re here for a reason.” He hesitates before continuing. It’s better the boy know right away so he could process it all before they needed him. “There’s a war that encompasses the entire known universe spearheaded by an alien race known as the Galra. Their objective is to conquer every planet and race they find. We were chosen to lead a rebellion against them. Paladins of Five lions that become-“

“Voltron.” The word comes out as a whisper and the others look at Lance with shock. Truth be told he’s in shock as well at this new information but he’d been in space at the mercy of the merciless for far too long to be taken off guard. 

Allura speaks then. She’s beautiful and he could see himself being interested in her if not for his... new hang ups. “How do you know of Voltron?”

He shrugged, panic all but gone with something new to focus on. “Voltron is legendary. It’s all some elders could talk about on the planet they kept me. The children liked the stories.”

“Children?” The revulsion in the Princess’s tone had Lance frantically correcting himself.

“Children of the city I was taken to on... some planet.” He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. “They... they would talk to me sometimes. When my Master brought me to the market for doing... well... with my training.” He shuddered remembering the brief joy at freedom he was allowed to feel being used as a gift only to be taken away and punished for as if the outings weren’t allowed and he had snuck out on his own. It was cruel and a lesson that stuck.

He wasn’t meant for freedom. He wasn’t meant for a life. 

He was only meant as a pretty cock sleeve. A living toy. Something exotic to show off and play with. 

His lips closed as if a vice was placed upon them. No one pressed him for more.

Shiro held out a hand, and it again struck him as surreal to see him here. “Let us help you, Lance. Please.”

Lance stared at the hand for a long time before hesitantly taking it.

—

The first few days out of the cryopod were hard. Lance couldn’t comprehend being his own person. He had been trained too well and had the rug pulled out from under him too often. Now that the shock of waking up to his classmates and some aliens wore off, his training kicked back in. He would lay in bed for hours if no one came to get him, legs splayed with knees bent and feet on the bed to display himself. Waiting to be used. A few times he found himself trying to entice whoever would enter his rooms. He’d moan and whimper and wiggle his hips, begging to be touched and fucked so he could prove that he was good and avoid punishment.

Keith would scowl and roll his eyes, going to his closet and throwing an Altean hoodie at him with a bark to get dressed. It was abrupt enough to shake Lance out of his blurry mindspace and he’d blush and shoot up to cover himself.

Hunk would laugh nervously and reassure him he didn’t have to do that anymore. He wasn’t an item, he was a person. It hurt that the Yellow paladin couldn’t meet his eyes when that happened so Lance would snap his legs closed and apologize, covering himself with his blanket until Hunk left.

Shiro was softer than either of the other two. He’d move Lance’s legs to the bed and cover him with his blanket before sitting on the mattress and talking until Lance woke up. He’d talk about his disjointed memories and the way he woke up sometimes, fists clenched and ready to tear into whatever horror he was put up against in the arena next. His nightmares. The way he scarfed down food too quickly because he couldn’t shake the fear of it being his last meal for awhile or taken away before he could finish. 

Lance would slowly come back to himself and stare at the ceiling above his bed listening to Shiro and fighting the urge to spill some of his memories. 

They counted it as improvement when he opened his mouth to his new leader and shared a story of his own. “They starved me when they first got me. Withheld food and water until I was begging for it. I was only given it once I let them...” he swallowed and clenched his eyes shut. “...U-use my mouth.” 

Shiro nodded and didn’t press for more. 

Lance was at breakfast the next day. He came in late, but he came nonetheless.

He had trouble letting anyone close. Surprisingly it was Pidge that broke down that barrier first. She would latch herself to his side when he looked lost or on the verge of tears from being overwhelmed. He allowed it, relaxing and drifting back to the present while he brushed his fingers through her hair. She was the only one that treated him as if he was normal. She’d tease him and insult him and tell him about her brother and father as they sat in her room, her on her laptop and data pad and him focusing on existing. He’d flinch away if she got too loud though and he couldn’t handle sitting on her bed.

His first time training went horribly.

Being pinned or cornered sent him into a panic attack. Hitting the invisible walls frustrated him until he lashed out recklessly and injured himself. He’d end up collapsing and crying and dead to the world around him until Allura gently called him back to the present. They adapted their training but even that aggravated him because it was proof that he wasn’t good enough to flight beside them. Too damaged and broken. 

Until he sat in Blue for the first time. At first it was scary, sharing his mind with the Lion, but when she settled and they became one consciousness, he felt himself relax. He wasn’t on his own in those moments. He had someone that understood without him having to say anything and someone who filled him with confidence. Confidence that pushed him to fly faster harder and further than he ever could at the Garrison. He grinned as exhilaration took over and gave a mighty whoop! That his team echoed in joy.

When they formed Voltron and he felt four others pushing into his mind, he didn’t falter or panic because he knew Blue was there to act as a buffer as they melded. And soon he didn’t even need that. 

The shooting range was another place that built him back up. It was the one thing he could do better than anyone else and he was relieved when his shots rang as true as the many trips to the gun range on Earth had. His skill was in tact and his mind was completely still. 

The grin that split his face was infectious and Hunk didn’t even hesitate to grab him in a bear hug congratulating him.

—

As much progress as he’d made, Lance still felt something ugly itching under his skin. The despair and shame sat heavy every time he had to strip down to shower or bathe. Most of the time He’d rush past mirrors with his head down and try to pay as little attention as he could to his body as he went. 

Sometimes he’d stop though and force his eyes up to take in his body. The differences were obvious and pride would swell at the muscles he’d developed since he’d been rescued. Unfortunately that pride would be crushed when he heard his Master’s voice praising his beauty. An unidentifiable feeling would rise when that happened. Something dark and twisted and scary that had him throwing on a loose hoodie and joggers and running from the bathroom until he bumped into one of the others and could latch onto them to forget.

He was too afraid to analyze the feeling and he’d out run it as long as he could.

—

It was only a matter of time before they would be dragged back into the war. Lance felt his back scream as he was shifted limply to lie on his side. His eyes drifted half open and blurry as they took in the scene. Galra were in the Castle. Shiro was out of commission. Lance could feel his bayard at his side but he couldn’t muster the strength to do anything more than twitch. His hearing rang and he whimpered bringing attention to himself. The bigger one with the prosthetic (he thought that’s what it was. It was big and glowing and moved unnaturally) knelt beside his head with a frown that sent a familiar dread shooting through him. 

“What’s this then? You finally coming around?” He grabbed Lance by the hair and forced his head up. “What a pretty species humans are. The variety of skin tones, builds... it’s fascinating.” He seemed to consider the boy for a moment when his eyes zeroed in on something on his neck. Suddenly his head was shoved down until his neck ached and the hair at his nape was moved aside. Then Sendak grinned. “Look at that. A Parusion slave. You’ve got the marking of a good one too. I wonder if we’ll have the time to test just how well trained you are before I hand you and your friends over to Emperor Zarkon.”

Lance stilled as fear coursed through his veins. He couldn’t get his mouth to move. All he could do was lie there and think ‘no no no no please not again please...’ 

Sendak studied the creature and dropped him back on his side. It was hard to ignore the temptation to feel along it’s frail body and inspect the merchandise. Usually the trade that had marked this little human came out with top notch whores and he ached for the companionship now that he was reminded. A reward then for a job well done. He pressed along the creatures side, running his hand down until it cupped a well developed ass cheek and the commander hummed at the need that shot through him. Lance cringed and whimpered and tried to wiggle away but he was weak from the blast. 

Luckily something pulled the Galran away and Lance was left to breathe through the tears. 

The fear that had held him captive for so long was back again. Only this time he didn’t deny the other thing twisting his gut. The thing that really scared him. Because he was supposed to be free, damn it. He had finally stopped flinching away from every touch, getting lost in memories and nightmares, fucking crying at the slightest upset.

He was better.

He was doing so much better.

How fucking dare that monster bring him back to the same useless, shaking bitch he’d shed weeks ago.

That dark feeling rose up and he let it consume him. Anger bubbled to the surface instead of hopelessness. Fear fed it and it grew until his shaking was no longer hopeless, until his hand clenched on his bayard and felt it transform, until he gathered the strength to sit up, take aim, and fucking shoot that bastard.

Anger that cooled as exhaustion took over and he fell into familiar arms. Keith’s voice lulled him to unconsciousness but not after they exchanged a few words he wouldn’t remember.

—

Now that the anger had been released, Lance couldn’t shove it down anymore. He couldn’t ignore the way his limbs burned with the urged to destroy and mangle. Couldn’t pass off his clenched jaw and fists as anxiety. He could barely breathe without a seething hiss escaping him.

But what outlet did he have for it? The others were growing concerned. Shiro was trying to find a way to work it out, Hunk babbled and asked repeatedly if he was ok and if there was something he could do for him, Pidge recognized it and held his hand to keep him from digging his nails into his skin until he bled the anger out, Allura and Coran tiptoed around him unsure of how to react, and Keith matched him anger for anger in the only spars that could quell his shaking and temporarily calm him.

When the Castle went on the fritz and trapped him in an airlock seconds away from death, he thought he’d welcome it. Anything to rid him of this all consuming ugliness. But then Keith was there scared out of his mind seeing Lance even as he battled a murderous bot and Lance felt the despair disappear. He was the Blue Paladin for fuck’s sake. A member of Voltron. He couldn’t die just because he was scared. He didn’t want to die. He wanted to help his teammates, he wanted to free the universe and protect Earth. He wanted to save those like himself and he couldn’t do any of that if he was dead.

Keith and he panted for breath beside the airlock and Lance felt resolve steady him. “I want to find them,” He’d said out of breath and head tilted to look at Keith. “I want to find them and I want to kill every last one that put their hands on me.”

Keith wasn’t even surprised. He studied Lance for a full moment before nodding his head. “Ok.”

—

It was easier said than done when there were planets to save and Galra to fight. His revenge was put on the back burner but with the plan his anger was sated. It had direction now and it simmered in wait for its opportunity.

Keith never told anyone else. Sometimes he and Lance would lock eyes and there’d be understanding there. It’d fortify his resolve and strength their trust in one another. When the anger was too strong, when it broke through the carefully constructed facade, Keith was there to watch as he smashed anything he could get his hands on in the training room. To listen to him scream and scream and scream in the sound proof lounge they’d found a few days after the airlock incident. He was there to hold him when Lance’s anger faded and left the Blue Paladin empty and sobbing. 

To everyone else, his progression was remarkable.

Keith saw the hurt and anger that still plagued him. He saw him when his brain shut off and all he could do was cling to Keith and beg him to make him useful, to fuck him until he felt fulfilled and the world made sense again. The Red Paladin would be the one to shove him away and tuck him into bed. He was the one who held Lance’s hand as he cried or screamed himself to sleep.

Only Keith.

—

Pidge found the trafficking ring.

She found the supplier that abducted people, the city he’d been taken to for training, the organization that ran a high end sex trade that fronted as a legitimate brothel, and even the buyer that he had been on his way to when he was found.

He asked her to keep it quiet. She looked at him with understanding eyes that made him question how well his pretending had actually been. 

All he needed was time to take care of his personal vendettas and then Voltron could get involved and save the other prisoners. 

They told the others Lance was being invited on a Blade or Marmora mission that didn’t really exist. Keith got their gear from a a black market dealer on a swap moon. It was all second hand and dark colors with hidden blades and both a long range sniper and short to mid range rifle. They took a pod from the swap moon so the Voltron pods wouldn’t give them away and made their way down the list.

The supplier was an small but advanced ship with a crew that never changed out. It was difficult to infiltrate but easy to destroy with a well placed bomb or two. 

Next was the brothel. Keith posed as a buyer, stoic behind his full face black mask, as Lance hung off of his arm as his personal concubine dressed in silks and face half hidden by a sheer cut of fabric and gold. Lance shuddered and felt bile rise at the familiar venue. He clutched Keith’s arm and Keith knocked his head against Lance’s to remind him that he wasn’t alone. He breathed in and out slowly until his panic settled. He pressed his lips to Keith’s cheek to signal he was fine and they continued further into the brothel. 

Lance’s skin crawled when they were approached by an all too familiar representative. She was bubbly with three large breasts and a suit that showed off her figure. You could tell she wasn’t merchandise by her attire. When they were being sold, Lance remembered the satin and lace that barely covered their attributes. It had accented his skin color and trim body, nipples poking through the thin material and cunt all but eating the string that posed as underwear leaving his dick barely covered. It made his body tense in memory until Keith’s quiet voice broke through the image.

“Hey. We’re being taken to the back. Almost done, Lance. Almost done.” 

Lance sucked in a breath and hastily nodded. 

He hadn’t been prepared for how affected he’d be returning to his home of nearly a year and a half. As soon as they were lead through a hall and into a curtained off area, he felt the anxiety be replaced once again with burning rage. There he was. The one that forced him to call him Master. Teacher. Sir. He wasn’t training. No he was there to appraise the new products, groping and probing without any interest. It was cold and impersonal to him.

Lance remembered the way he was felt up, hands squeezing his limbs and inspecting his feet, hands, and teeth. The fingers that tugged through his hair, rubbed his ears, pinched his nipples. The way he spread Lance’s legs and inspected his sex with cold precision. Lance had cried and then a gag was slapped on him to avoid anymore distressing noises. Presently his hands shook with anger and his eyes welled with tears.

He wanted to mangle the bastard. Tear him apart with that same indifference and stitch him back together so he could feel the manifestation of the pain Lance had endured. Keith distracted the attendant that had lead them there as Lance wandered through the room. He turned some heads as he past the untrained and sidled up to his former Master. 

Master turned and startled to find him so close. Even with Lance mostly hidden behind draping silks, he saw recognition in his beady brown eyes. Lance smiled and tipped forward to brush his lips to his ear as he was taught so long ago. “I’ve come home.” He whispered. His voice shook in poorly concealed anger but he knew the other would confuse it with fear of the punishment he’d receive for being gone for so long. 

Just as they had planned, Master smiled and grabbed Lance’s offered hand. “A sight for sore eyes, my pretty blue eyed beauty.” His voice made Lance’s anger boil and bile threaten to rise bit he kept the smile plastered on his face. 

He pressed himself against the other as he lowered his head and repeated the request he’d once quivered for. “Punish me, sir.”

The private room was just as Lance remembered. A four poster bed with two chests on either side and low light to keep the atmosphere intimate. There was a crate at the foot of the bed as well as chains that attached to a collar and cuffs for misbehaving pets. He cringed at the sight and clenched his fist as his Master lead him inside. Once the door was closed and locked, Lance pulled out his gun from beneath his skirt and pressed it to the unassuming alien’s temple. He saw fear flash in his eyes and felt a burst of satisfaction at the sight. 

“Kneel,” he said in a mockery of the command he’d heard so many times before. The alien did so, slowly.

“My pet, you don’t have to do this.” It was infuriating how level his voice was. “Why would you harm the one who made you perfect? Are you not more experienced now? Are you not sought after for your looks and talent?” Lance’s hands shook. “Put this foolish rebellion aside and all will be forgiven. Don’t you wish to be cared for again? To not have a worry in that pretty little head of yours? To not carry the anger and fear festering inside of you?”

Lance felt sweat drip down his forehead. His resolve shaken. But the anger wasn’t far away and it rusher in to take up the space fear and uncertainty left. He steadied his hand.

“Fuck you.”

Bang.

—

Keith killed the man who bought Lance. After killing his former master, Lance’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Without a focus for his anger, he felt lost. Devoid of purpose. He didn’t even know the buyer.

It wasn’t until he and Keith returned to the Castle that he felt he could breathe again. Keith held him as he nearly collapsed in relief. His fingers weakly clutched the other’s shirt. “Keith-“ he croaked out.

Keith hummed and stroked his hair. 

“What do I do now?” The question came out so sullen Lance winced. But Keith didn’t acknowledge it.

“Now,” he said with a steady exhale, “we save the universe and protect Earth.”

A new purpose filled Lance’s chest. One that didn’t feel real until he could see beyond the past. He laughed as he buried his head into Keith’s shoulder. 

“Ok.” He moved to meet Keith’s violet stare. “Let’s save the fucking universe.”

His grin was genuine and excitement filled him at the prospect. His lips tingled and he couldn’t fight the urge to press them to the Red Paladin’s, feeling the kiss returned ten fold and getting swept up in the intensity of their love.


End file.
